Washington, D.C. – Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, issued the following statement in response to the announcement that 80 percent of Hawaii’s eighth graders have less than proficient scores in writing, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Education:
While nationally there were some gains from past years, today’s test results in writing are another call to Congress to help high schools. Of the students entering high school in Hawaii, 80 percent are writing below grade level, which means they don’t have the writing skills they need to succeed.
With employers looking at the ability to write well as essential for any job candidate, our high schools need to do more to make sure students are adequately prepared for the demands of the twenty-first century workplace.
Congress can and must help this year by making sure resources and programs are available to ensure that every student is given every chance to gain skills and knowledge to succeed.
Gov. Wise’s recorded comments are available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/Hawaii_NAEP08.mp3
'The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington-based policy, research, and advocacy organization that works to make every child a graduate, prepared for postsecondary education and success in life. For more information about the Alliance for Excellent Education, please visit http://www.all4ed.org
